At BookNet, metadata is at the core of what we do. With so much of it flowing in and out of our products and services, we’ve seen it all. In this blog series, we will share each of the common issues addressed in the Improving your metadata: Common issues and how to fix them Tech Forum presentation where eight BookNetters walk you through some of the most common issues we see in publishers’ metadata, highlighting what metadata standards are recommended for each case and showing you how to fix these common problems.
Why is this important? Accurate, high-quality metadata ensures your books are seen and that they succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. Join us as we help you optimize your metadata and unlock its full potential!
The issue: Not providing age range data
They say age ain't nothing but a number, but when it comes to the metadata of books for young readers, that number is critically important. Age range data refers to the specific range in years or school grades of the intended audience for products aimed at children and young adults.
Think about it: Without proper age range information, your books may not reach their intended audience, resulting in misplaced products, confused shoppers, and ultimately, lost sales opportunities.
Why is this an issue?
When age range data is missing or too broad, multiple problems arise throughout the supply chain:
Book buyers can't easily locate books appropriate for the developmental stages of the children they're buying for
Booksellers don't know which sections of the store to display your titles in
Online retailers can't properly filter and categorize your books
Age range data, when properly included in metadata, appears alongside the title's bibliographic details on retailer websites, catalogues, marketing materials, and on BookNet Canada products like CataList and SalesData.
What BookNet recommends
1. Follow industry standards:
The BookNet Canada & Book Industry Study Group’s Best Practices for Product Metadata states that age range data must be supplied for all trade products aimed at children and young adults. Data suppliers should be sure to refer to this guide as it's full of excellent information about how companies are actually using metadata in the Canadian market.
2. Be precise with your ranges:
Data suppliers should provide specific and realistic age ranges:
Children’s books should rarely exceed two years at the lower end.
At the upper end, ranges can be larger (perhaps three to four years)/
Avoid overly broad ranges like "ages 6 to 11" or "grades 2 to 7"
Avoid unhelpful open-ended ranges like "0 to 99"
A narrow range such as "ages 8 to 9" is more realistic and useful
3. Use appropriate ONIX coding:
To indicate age range in your ONIX data, refer to Codelist 30 for available options:
Age, grade, reading level, and interest age are most commonly used
Ages are expressed by year (or months for infants)
Values should be numbers, with the codelist defining what's being measured
You can provide specific lower and upper ages (like 10 to 14 years)
Use "from" to indicate a lower age only or "to" for an upper age only
4. Review this ONIX example:
Here is the ONIX data for a book intended for two- to five-year-olds:
<AudienceRange>
<AudienceRangeQualifier>18</AudienceRangeQualifier> ← From Codelist 30, refers to “Reading age, years”
<AudienceRangePrecision>03</AudienceRangePrecision> ← Code for "FROM"
<AudienceRangeValue>2</AudienceRangeValue> ← age two
<AudienceRangePrecision>04</AudienceRangePrecision> ← Code for "TO"
<AudienceRangeValue>5</AudienceRangeValue> ← age five
</AudienceRange>
With this data, booksellers will know where to shelve this title, consumers will know it's suitable for their toddler or pre-schooler, and publishers will know that their books are being easily found and purchased.
Need help? Don't hesitate to reach out to the BookNet team with specific questions.
The complete slide deck and transcript from this session are available here.
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This blog post outlines strategies for streamlining ONIX creation, maintenance, and distribution.